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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240685">Peace in the Storm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasmineRey/pseuds/JasmineRey'>JasmineRey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Comfort, Could be Finn/Rey, Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Friendship, Gen, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey Needs A Hug, Sharing a Bed, Trauma, platonic or romantic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:07:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,865</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240685</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasmineRey/pseuds/JasmineRey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite her deep love of rain, Rey doesn't seem to like storms at all, at least not since Exegol. Finn doesn't know exactly what the memories are that haunt her, just that they are enough to make her flinch at every flash of lightning, and to draw her to his room each night in search of a peace she somehow manages to find with him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Finn &amp; Rey (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Peace in the Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The violent, blinding flash and sharp crack of lightning erupting across the sky jolts Rey from sleep. <em>Not again.</em> She presses her trembling hands against her ears and screws her eyes shut tight, but the images that flash into her mind are much more frightening.</p><p>
  <em>(Bolts of lightning cutting through the eerie darkness, striking the rocky surface of Exegol. A grotesque, menacing, shadowy figure looming over her. A web of electricity exploding into the atmosphere above, threatening to destroy her friends, her family. Lightning erupting from gnarled fingers, pulsing towards her viciously and relentlessly, crackling around the edges of her lightsaber as she tries desperately with all her strength, and the power of all the Jedi behind her, to stand her ground, to deflect it, to hold on, to just hold on, because this is her destiny and she can't let her friends die, she just can't, so she holds on and holds on until she can no longer feel her arms and legs or the beat of her own heart and suddenly the world around her grows dark).</em>
</p><p>Shivers wrack her body, despite the planet's humidity, and her lungs gasp for air as she tries desperately to catch her breath, with limited success. Every night on Akiva has been the same. Every night, a storm tears through the capital city. Every night, she wakes in a panic to the violent attacks of pure, electric energy cracking against the planet's surface somewhere nearby, bringing with it a frightening display of blinding flashes and deafening booms. Every night, the memories surge aggressively back into her mind, firing at her like shots from a blaster, attacking her from the inside.</p><p>Every night, she climbs out of bed and forces her shaking legs to carry her down the hall.</p><p>Rey can feel Finn's bright, warm presence radiating from the other side of the door. For a moment, she considers setting herself down here in the hallway to avoid disturbing Finn's sleep yet again. But there is another sudden bright flash before her eyes, accompanied by a shuddering crack and rumble that vibrates through the floor and walls, and Rey reaches for the door almost instinctively, reaching desperately for safety. Realising her action, she lets out a conceding sigh.</p><p>She could do it. She could go back to her own room and spend the night wide awake and trembling in her bed, eyes closed and hands over her ears, flinching at every flash of light and clap of thunder, crying and pleading for the memories to <em>stop please please just stop</em>. She could endure it alone, and she would be fine. She would survive. She would emerge from her room the next morning, with dark circles framing her eyes, her mind clouded and her body heavy with exhaustion. She would ignore Finn and Poe's concerned glances, force a smile and a laugh, and somehow muster up enough energy to push herself through the day.</p><p><em>But just because I can do something alone, doesn't mean I have to</em>, Rey reminds herself, repeating the words Finn and Poe have uttered to her countless times, the words she has frequently repeated back to them. Whether it's nightmares, flashbacks, panic, worry, grief, dealing with the general troubling aftermath of war, piloting the Falcon, ships repairs, getting things down from high shelves, or cooking a decent meal without setting anything on fire, the option of company, of a helping hand, is always there, and it will never leave. That, Rey realises, is one of the blessings of having people who truly, genuinely care.</p><p>Setting aside her pride and worries of being a nuisance (she knows Finn doesn't mind, though even if he did, it's very unlikely he would admit it), she opens the door and slips quietly into the room.</p><p>The room is small and simple, practically identical to her own, and to Poe's. Lowering her gaze to avoid focusing on the intermittent pulses of light breaking through the gaps in curtains, Rey draws her attention to the bed. Peering through the darkness, she can make out the figure of Finn sleeping soundly and silently, flat on his back with one arm resting on his stomach and the other lying straight by his side. He seems entirely unbothered by the raging storm outside, and Rey is almost jealous of his peaceful state, though her twinge of jealousy is quickly swallowed up by the feeling of safety, comfort, and reassurance that seems to live in this space around him. She has never been able to describe it clearly, but it's a feeling she always gets when she is with him, ever since he came back for her at Starkiller Base, risking his life to save hers solely and purely because he cared. The feeling that <em>everything is going to be okay</em>.</p><p>She makes a conscious effort to steady her breathing and still her shaking limbs as she climbs into bed next to Finn. She tucks her legs under the blankets and settles down beside him. A feeling of peace flows over her almost instantly. It's not enough to completely banish her frightening memories, or settle her jittering nerves and racing heart, but it's enough for her to feel safe, to have the reassurance in the back of her mind that, regardless of whether the evil threats are merely fearful memories etched in her mind, or real dangers lurking somewhere in the stormy darkness outside, she doesn't have to face them alone.</p><p>...</p><p>A flickering presence at the edge Finn's mind pulls him from sleep. It is light and warm, but filled with a restless energy, and it's reaching for him, reaching for closeness, for comfort, for safety.</p><p>When Finn opens his eyes, he's not at all surprised to find Rey climbing into his bed and curling up beside him. It has become almost routine since Resistance business (the war is over, but there is still so much to be done) led him, Rey, and Poe to Akiva for the week, a planet famed for its wet weather and, much to Rey's distress, frequent storms. Despite her deep love of rain, Rey doesn't seem to like storms at all, at least not since Exegol. Finn doesn't know exactly what the memories are that haunt her, just that they are enough to make her flinch at every flash of lightning; to make her stare out the weather-beaten windows of their modest apartment accommodation, as if scanning for some threat she is almost expecting to see; to keep her awake at night, overwhelmed with anxiety; and to draw her to his room each night in search of a peace she somehow manages to find with him (maybe it's a Force thing, or maybe they've both been through so much together that it's only natural for them to find comfort in each other).</p><p>Rey rests her forehead against his shoulder, and Finn's heart sinks as his eyes adjust to the dark and he sees just how tired and defeated she looks, like she's been fighting a battle all night. <em>A battle in her mind,</em> he thinks, and his heart aches.<em> One that she faces over and over again.</em></p><p>Eventually, he feels Rey begin to relax against him. Keeping himself as still as possible, he shifts his eyes to catch a glimpse of her face. Her expression is softer, more peaceful, and her eyelids flutter between open and closed. Within moments, she should be asleep, hopefully, unless...</p><p>
  <em>Crack!</em>
</p><p>That. Unless <em>that</em> happens.</p><p>Finn curses under his breath as Rey jerks awake the second the harsh sound and blinding light tear through the room. She grips his arm tightly, digging the tips of her fingers into his skin. She clings to him so fiercely, so closely, and Finn can feel how tense she is, how her whole body shakes, how her heart races in her chest and her breaths surge in and out too fast to even reach her lungs. Sympathy tugs at his heart so hard it hurts.</p><p>He rolls awkwardly on to his side, turning inwards to face her. He reaches his free arm over and slowly moves his hand towards her shoulder until it lightly brushes against her skin. When she doesn't flinch or pull away from his hand, he rests it there.</p><p>"Hey, it's okay," he reassures her softly, and he wants her to believe it more than anything, because things should be okay now, right? The war is over. Everything should be okay. They should all be okay. But Finn knows it's not that simple. He sees it, experiences it, every day. They're okay, but they're not okay. There are things, memories, feelings, that sit constantly just below the surface within each of them, like wounds that have scarred over but remain tender. All it takes is a bump, a jolt, or sometimes even a light touch, and the pain returns. It's unpredictable, it's messy, but it's the way things are. At least for now.</p><p>Rey's panic-filled eyes narrow to focus on him. She looks at her hand, fingers clenched around his arm, and frowns.</p><p>"Sorry," she mumbles, between shaking breaths, and releases her grip.</p><p>Finn smiles. "It's fine. It's okay." He reaches his now free arm around Rey to guide her closer. She accepts, shifting further towards him, and rests her head against his chest. She's still trembling, Finn notes with concern, and with her chest pushed against his side, he can feel her heart thumping hard and fast. He wants to say something, something positive or comforting or reassuring, but he doesn't know what to say. Rey says nothing either. She just holds on to him. So he holds on to her.</p><p>Finn doesn't know if it's possible to send feelings through the Force. Actually, he doesn't know much at all about using the Force. Not yet. He just... feels things. Instincts, emotions, a living energy ebbing and flowing inside of him and around him within other things. He feels a connection between him and Rey, like a thread, or bridge, or outstretched branch that is constantly there, holding them together even when they're apart. He doesn't know if it's possible, but he tries anyway. He closes his eyes and focuses on the Force, on Rey, on that bright branch of light and life connecting them to one another. He focuses on sending feelings of <em>safety</em> and <em>calm</em> and <em>love</em> and <em>comfort</em> and <em>peace.</em> He focuses on how badly he wants those feelings to reach her, to nestle somewhere in her mind and heart, to glow where there's darkness and fear, to chase away the distressing memories and sit in their place, even just for a little while.</p><p>Finn's eyes are damp when he finally opens them. There are tears rolling down his cheeks, but he ignores them. Instead, he glances down at Rey, and his heart swells with joy. She is relaxed and breathing evenly, sound asleep with her head on his chest.</p><p>Finn smiles. He reaches cautiously for the blanket and pulls it up over Rey's shoulder, before settling back and closing his eyes once again.</p><p>Rain still pelts hard against the window. Lightning strikes. Thunder rumbles and claps.</p><p>But there is peace.</p>
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